


Worthwhile Bruises

by pinegreenapples



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Background Relationships, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-27
Updated: 2016-05-27
Packaged: 2018-07-10 12:02:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6984280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinegreenapples/pseuds/pinegreenapples
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hartley's never been fond of Quidditch.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Worthwhile Bruises

“Hartley!”

The sharp yell cracks through the complete silence of the Ravenclaw common room. Hartley winces as it echoes off the stone walls. He looks up to find Caitlin striding towards him with a positively murderous expression he’s only seen twice before. Once when Ronnie had forgotten to meet her at Hogsmeade on their two year anniversary-she didn’t talk to him for a week after- and once when Cisco had sneezed in the middle of a charm and turned her hair a neon green.

“Yes, Caitlin?” His mind instantly started flicking through the last few days trying desperately to find what she could be so mad about. He turns back to his book and flips a page, feigning nonchalance.

“You are a terrible boyfriend!” She hisses, leaning down into his space, a hand planted on the desk in front of him. Hartley feels the tips of his ears redden. 

Hartley frowns, “I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about. Would you care to elaborate?” He turns another page. He was in trouble, serious trouble. Caitlin had threatened him when Cisco and him had first started dating. Needless to say, it involved a lot of potential unfortunate accidents and fear for his extremities. 

“Hufflepuff is playing against Gryffindor today. It’s their last game for this season.” Caitlin enunciates each word carefully as if he’s a beginning language learner. Combined with the acidic tone, Hartley feels like he should be insulted. Besides, why was she talking to him about Quidditch? He hated the game.

He glances up at her and makes a go ahead motion when she doesn’t seem any more forthcoming.

She shakes her head with a disbelieving huff and pushes off from the desk. Her hands forming a tight cross over her chest.

“Your boyfriend,  _ Cisco Ramon _ , plays keeper for the Hufflepuff Quidditch team.” If looks could kill, Hartley has a feeling he’d be dead thrice over.

Oh. So that’s why she’s so pissed. He wasn’t at the game cheering for Cisco.

He sighs and puts his bookmark in his book. “Look, Caitlin, Cisco knows I don’t like Quidditch and he doesn’t expect me to go simply to watch him play.” Caitlin looks so thoroughly unimpressed with that answer that Hartley considers running for his life. 

“You’re unbelievable.” is the only warning Hartley has before Caitlin bodily hauls him out of his seat and starts to drag him across the room. He fumbles at her her hand. Her grip was tighter than a boa constrictor around his wrist.

Caitlin! Wait! What are we-” Hartley breaks off abruptly when he catches the poisonous glare aimed in his direction. He figures he’s more likely to walk out of this alive if he keeps his mouth shut.

He is taken down three flights of stairs and through at least a dozen hallways before they reach the main doors to the Quidditch field. As Caitlin finally relinquishes her hold of him to open the doors, Hartley’s beginning to understand why he was dragged across half of Hogwarts by his friend. He rubs at his wrist, he’s definitely going to have a bruise tomorrow.

“Was that really necessary?” He raises an eyebrow at her.

Her answer is quick and blunt, “Hell no, but it was fun.” She grabs his wrist again and yanks him through the doors towards the field. 

Looking up, Hartley can see that the stands are close to bursting. He feels his lip curl at having to be so close to that many people. He really hates having to be so close to other people.

Caitlin drags him up another set of steps to the top of the Ravenclaw pillar where her boyfriend, Ronnie, has so kindly saved them seats. As they sit down a Gryffindor player zooms past them, blowing Caitlin’s hair every which way. 

Ronnie gives a laugh, “Barry’s showing off again.”

Caitlin smiles back at him before replying, “With a boyfriend like that cheering him on I’d be showing off too.” Ronnie assumes a mock hurt air until Caitlin rolls her eyes and elbows him. They smile disgustingly at one another and Hartley sighs pointedly. Caitlin’s head whips around to glare at him and Hartley dredges up a panicked smile. She smirks and turns back to Ronnie who’s still staring at her with a dopey grin on his face.

“So what did we miss?” She reaches down to grab her purse before rummaging through it, her voice slightly muffled by the abyss of chatchkes. 

“Not much,” Ronnie shrugs, “They introduced the teams and checked the balls for magical tampering.  We only just started like two minutes ago.” 

“Oh good.” Caitlin murmurs as she pulls out three black and yellow flags emblazoned with a badger. She hands one to the men on either side of her and keeps one for herself.

Hartley eyes the flag, a slight frown furrowing between his eyebrows. Caitlin rolls her eyes yet again before taking his wrist and shaking it in a vague approximation of waving.

“Hartley, wave your damn flag, your boyfriend is playing.” she barks. He gives it a half hearted shake before placing it back in his lap. Caitlin snorts out through her nose and mutters something about uncooperative idiots.

Hartley sits for three hours in complete and utter boredom while the Quidditch game goes on before him. The blurred forms of the players zoom past him at dizzying speeds, never solidifying into actual people for more than a few seconds. The only players who stay still the most are the keepers. So it’s perfectly logical when Hartley ends up watching Cisco deflect quaffle after quaffle from becoming a goal. It’s not at all because that uniform does really fantastic things for Cisco’s body, of course not.

Eventually, The Gryffindor seeker (Barry was it?) catches the snitch and the game ends. The players all land and the announcer concludes the game.

As the cheering begins to die down and people start to shuffle down the stairs, Hartley gets up to leave but Caitlin yanks him back down.

“The game’s over.” He protests. Her flat look roots him to the spot.

“We’re waiting for the crowd to filter out so then we can go greet the players.” She says, as if it’s the most obvious thing on the planet. 

They wait about five minutes before heading down themselves towards the players’ locker rooms. The teams are already out, talking and laughing. Oliver is there too, kissing Barry as if his life depends on it. Ronnie yells at them to get a room and they separate instantly, a blush already crawling up Barry’s neck.

Cisco turns at the sound of Ronnie’s voice, a bright smile on his adorable face. When he spots Hartley just behind Ronnie’s shoulder his eyes go as wide as saucers. He slaps one of his teammates on the back before jogging over.

“Hartley? I thought you hated Quidditch.” His voice makes it sound like a statement.

“I do.” Hartley replies drily.

Cisco looks at him oddly before a large puppy dog grin spreads over his whole face, shining like a mini sun.

“You came for me?” His voice is soft as he gazes into Hartley’s eyes.

“I don’t know if came is the r-” Hartley doesn’t get to finish as Cisco tackles him in a bear hug. “Thank you.” He whispers.

As they break apart, Hartley tugs at the end of his shirt, trying to straighten it. 

“Don’t expect me to come to all your games, now.” He grumbles as he finishes one last tug of his shirt. Cisco laughs and laces his fingers with Hartley’s.

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” His eyes sparkle as he looks at Hartley, “C’mon, I heard that Linda baked brownies for the competing teams and there’s no way I’m not getting one.”

The two of them set off across the field to the dining hall, Cisco pulling Hartley along as he complains about how after a mind numbing game of Quidditch his boyfriend is forcing him go to a party and, heaven forbid,  _ interact _ . It’s almost worth it though, Hartley thinks as Cisco laughs and gives that sunbright smile again before pulling the wrist he’s holding a little harder. Hartley swears mentally as his wrist twinges under the force. He’s definitely going to have a bruise tomorrow.


End file.
